Initial teacher training and business links: built‐in, not bolt‐on?

The inclusion of education‐business links in programmes of initial teacher training is not a new idea. However, these activities have tended to be restricted to “enthusiasts” and show little sign of becoming embedded in mainstream practice. Offers some analysis of the constraints on these activities, including some of the complexity in establishing a clear rationale. Identifies the National Curriculum, teacher competences and the culture of inspection as conservative influences on initial teacher training. Argues that our rapidly changing culture requires fresh and imaginative approaches to initial teacher training, which extend beyond the shift in organizational responsibility which is taking place owing to government reforms. Describes a specific project in which business‐related experience is used as an integral part of a PGCE programme. The key feature of this process is an attempt to establish a framework of activities and experiences which could be used across the spectrum of initial teacher training.